The shocking revelation that Fijian passports have been issued to the children of Grace Road members without official authorisation is rocking the government to its core. But for once, the responsible minister, Pio Tikoduadua, is giving the nation a masterclass in proper conduct vastly at odds with others in the “New Order”.
Last night, the Home Affairs Minister offered to stand aside while an official investigation is carried out into how the passports could have been provided to Grace Road without the authorisation of the Minister or, according to him, his Permanent Secretary. So who did give the order? The nation awaits with bated breath.
There can be few instances of corruption more grave than the nation’s passports and proof of citizenship being given to people who aren’t entitled to them. The implication is that bribes have been paid to secure these documents. And Pio Tikoduadua is right to be treating this as a major security breach that goes to the heart of the integrity of the state.
It is to be expected that the Minister will have expressed a determination to get to the bottom of this scandal. But what marks him out as a man of principle is that he has taken responsibility for what has evidently occurred under his watch and has offered to stand aside so that a full independent inquiry can establish the facts.
He hasn’t resigned and nor should he at this stage. But the fact that he has told the Prime Minister that it may be best for him to step aside while an inquiry is held demonstrates a sense of high-mindedness that has been noticeably absent on all sides of Fijian politics over the years.
It is in stark contrast to the shocking conduct of the FICAC Commissioner, Barbara Malimali, in insisting on staying on in the role while she is the subject of two investigations – one by the ODPP about the allegations of abuse of office against her as chair of the Electoral Commission and the other a judicial inquiry by Justice David Ashton-Lewis into the circumstances of her appointment as FICAC Commissioner.
The difference between Barbara Malimali and Pio Tikoduadua is this: The FICAC Commissioner has no concept of the gross inappropriateness of her clinging on while these investigations are held and the Home Affairs Minister understands that the buck stops with him even if he isn’t directly responsible.
More on the Malimali scandal to come. But it is becoming clearer by the day that something is very rotten in the state of Fiji. We now have evidence that the leaders of the Grace Road cult have corrupted elements of the government to the extent that they have been able to secure citizenship and passports for their members without proper authorisation.
Those responsible must face the full force of the law. And the Fijian people have a right to expect that this extends to other instances of corruption at the highest levels of the state that have become a scandalous feature of the “New Order”.
In stark contrast to the scandalous conduct of Barbara Malimali, who clings to office despite two official investigations into her and fraternises openly with John Rabuku, the Deputy DPP who is supposedly investigating her for abuse of office.
More to come in our next story.
Coalition it the gift that keeps giving. One character at a time trying out outperform the other.
And its not even midway through the term.
Attention seeker Barbara is shamelessly fraternising with the very people who are supposedly investigating her at the dpp’s conference.
Imagine Christopher Pryde attending a function hosted by the very tribunal that is supposedly investigating him!
But who cares for this lot…they will break every rule, law, principle, ethics…anything. they operate with impunity and no shame. Their motto is “fcuk everyone…we are in power”
Meanwhile GD….all is not what it seems in this Pio/Grace controversy. You may want to dig a bit deeper before backing what could be the two faced horse.
I was referring to Pio Tikoduadua’s action in offering to stand aside. What happens after that is for an inquiry to establish, assuming one is set up and does its job with integrity. Though that is admittedly an open question given the government’s record.
I know Pio Tikoduadua and simply cannot imagine that he would be involved in anything corrupt like this. He may be guilty of lapses of judgment but in my experience, he has a very strong sense of what is right and wrong.
Yes, more on Barbara Malimali, including the ODPP’s conference, to come.
FIJI BOY
There’s more to come, the entire government will soon fall apart. We are heading towards becoming a BANANA REPUBLIC.
The LAW has gone out the window none left, the gov’t is doing whatever they want.
Just to win the next election the PM has put his chief with a horrible criminal record as the president of the country and his participation in the 2000 coup is a few to mention.
God save FIJI from government ministers and the corrupt leaders .
Something definitely smells fishy, apart from Lynda. But @GD, how is Grace Road a cult any more than the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics, Methodists, Hindus (who pierce themselves with tridents), Mormons, Scientology, etc.
Any religion is a cult in effect. Why the endless attack and labeling on GR. And fyi, the children and mum were defectors of the GR church. So how/why are you saying that GR has infiltrated the government machinery?
They could have given the location of their enterprises and access to land. But most likely not in this instance. In any case, the average Fijian is a very dishonest being. So no surprises that there is infiltration of drugs and black money.
Are you serious? We have just had more evidence of slavery and beatings in the Grace Road cult. Now it seems they have been corruptly acquiring passports.
To compare them to the Methodists and Roman Catholics is absurd.
I must say that Minister Pio Tikoduadua had the courage to admit that his Department of Immigration issued passports to Grace Road staff without his or his Permanent Secretary’s knowledge and perhaps approval. Consequently, he has offered to stand down as Minister until full investigation is carried out.
The Director of Immigration needs to answer how this could happen? Is any other minister involved,
Minister Pio has shown a good example by willing to step back for what has happened.
There are other ministers who are under investigation but don’t have the courage to step aside until FICAC investigations are completed.
The main one is the Commission of Inquiry in the case of Barbara Malimali, who ashamedly continues in the position.
You’re giving this man too much credit, GD. He’s got the police in his pocket and regularly breaches the constitution with his direct interference with the police & military! Giving the puppet A/ComPol and his clowns direct orders etc. His time will come. Unless someone else was acting in his place at the material times, he is the only one that signs off on citizenships and passports. He needs to be investigated by an independent group because he has too much influence over the police.
Pio is a first class hypocrite. If he is such an angel offering to stand down, why did he not speak up in the case of the Minister for Weed & Bonking, the MaliMali case, appoint of Rabuku as deputy DPP, the appointment of the President and the list goes on. He is s self preserver and no different to all the others in government. He will change sides when it suits which he has done before. He is in it up to his ears.
I was merely making the point that he has accepted the principle of ministerial responsibility in this instance.
He seems to have genuinely believed Lynda Tabuya’s lies and described the case against her as “merely allegations”. He was eventually made a fool of by the Prime Minister himself in the letter that the mainstream media still refuses to publish that establishes Lynda Tabuya’s guilt.
In relation to the other incidents you cite, he is part of the NFP and part of the government and will have had to abide by the collective decisions they made, however wrong they are. It doesn’t excuse his conduct but unfortunately, that’s politics.
If he is eventually found to be corrupt, I will eat my hat. Because when I was in government, I witnessed multiple occasions in which Tikoduadua stood up for the right thing at considerable cost to his own position. Having said that, I’m aware of the old adage that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Yes, his offer to stand down is a show of integrity and good governance that is sorely lacking in this administration, including his own Party leader, and especially by characters such as BM who used to loudly preach from her Facebook pulpit.
It’s either one or the other. “Master class in proper conduct'” or Master con job. Dont trust none of these bastards. This has been going on since the last administration when Tweedledee and Tweedledumass were running the show.
The Grace Road example may be the tip of the iceberg. Given the political situation in Fiji where the GCC is trying to exert more authority,and non iTaukei are classed as “vulagi” passports must be in high demand from people intending to leave. Someone in that department could be minting money!
The more pertinent question is does this open the gap for one of the spineless G9 group to act in Pio’s position while he is being investigated?
If this happens, the minor Coalition partners are on notice. Toe the line or you are out.
That Justice David Ashton Lewis attends the same Butt Street Church and belongs to the same prayer group as Rambo the coup-maker, should not be used against him. Give him some respect as he is deserving of it.
Thanks for confirming the information I was given. I am not showing David Ashton Lewis disrespect by highlighting the fact that he and the Prime Minister know each other and there are therefore question marks about his independence.
This is not a tribunal of judges but one judge alone. Which makes it an entirely legitimate subject of public debate.
There is more that meets the eye in your piece, GD. The question is how long has Pio Tikoduadua had this sanctimonious trait, to offer to step aside when the torch light of public attention turns to him about wrong doings in his Ministry? Did he submit his opinion in Cabinet or at his party caucus when issues of FICAC investigations against other Ministers, including his own Party Leader Biman Prasad, were discussed, or is his decision to step aside just grandstanding in the face of dwindling public confidence in the probity of the government?
The other question is what will the PM do? If he remained silent in other cases including the case of Barbara Malimali, it would be stupid to think he will do anything in Pio’s offer to him to step aside.
The other matter is what has happened to Manoa Sweet’s promise of an investigation into Grace Roads? This as with Manoa Kamikamica’s other promises of investigation has not materialised. Had he remained true to his words the passport scandal would not have arisen. It’s a case of one instance of corruption begetting other corruption cases. It gives truth to the saying bad things happen when truth is suppressed.
What happened to Walesi investigation
Has Robeto khan given some kiwi fruits to Kamikamica?
Director Immigration has been asked to step down.
The level of corruption that happened between Grace road and Fiji First was unimaginable .
Grace road had spread like wildfire all across Fiji in last 10 years or so.
Now with this coalition government they have gone one step ahead of Fiji First.
It’s worst of its kind.
Putting Grace road boss in custody was a stunt.
He was having all benefits inside his cell block.
This corruption will never end in Fiji.
All those who have raked millions in last 2 decades out of government are laughing away.
Look around how they have invested and their children are traveling first class.
Buying big cars worth hundreds of thousands is peanuts to them.
Poor are suffering ,
Hospitals are running out of drugs and in pathetic shape.
Taps are dry.
Bilibili and foot is used for children to reach schools.
Drug peddling is rife.
Cops are working with criminals
Poor are suffering by the hands of this scumbags
Rot is everywhere
This is 20th century Fiji in the name of Jesus and fake lotu.
This same Director of Immigration signed the order for VC Pal’s midnight detention and subsequent deportation.
She was a star at the PM’s Office, is thus new to the Department and most likely mickey-moused by her longer serving subordinates.
Madame Director is also known to buckle when orders from the top, even if illegitimate, fall upon her.
Our leaders and institutions are falling apart. Drunkards in Ba, Tavua. Next, Rakiraki? Not to mention the Nadonumai trio in court and the recent fist fights at the Suva Bus Stand by students clad in their sulu high school uniforms, featured on social media.
Isa, Pio, Juky, Ro Jone and Ratu Seruvakula all watching this painfully. Really?
Meanwhile Fiji immigration lost our child’s citizenship application and didn’t bother telling us for 8 months. We had been following up monthly with no response to emails. Then they make us resubmit it and told us standard processing time is 6 months. So we have to continue to leave Fiji every 6 months at great expense to us because they will only issue a visitors visa. Make it make sense. Must be coz he’s only 50% iTaukei and not a pure blood. *rollseyes* Caita.
Look at the pictures from COP 29
Big fijian crowd having a good time.
I am thinking what difference would they make to Fiji’s poor people who are experiencing first hand climate change disasters especially in island groups .
Few millions wasted could have made difference to lives of many by having a decent house to stand gale force winds.
Even one of the ministers has called out saying it’s a waste of funds.
Forget any financial help from US till Trump is American president.
This is where he is right.
“Go and look for your own funds to counter climate change “.
Bainimarama was asking for 100 billion and now Biman is asking for 200 billion as climate assistance.
OMG…..,what’s next.